Marte Feuerwehrfahrzeuge
Fire-appliance builder founded in 1964 at Weiler in Vorarlberg, western Austria, that bodied everything from small Land Rover and van-based tenders to truck-chassis pumpers and rescue vehicles for brigades in Austria, Liechtenstein and the neighbouring Swiss cantons. It went into insolvency at the end of 2007 and was absorbed by the Rankweil coachbuilder Walser.
History
Marte was established at Weiler, in the Rhine valley of Vorarlberg, in 1964 and from the start built and equipped fire-service vehicles: light appliances on four-wheel-drive and van chassis for the region's village brigades, and pumpers and rescue tenders on lorry chassis for the larger ones, with its first Vorarlberg delivery going to the Viktorsberg volunteer brigade. Its customers were mostly Austrian, but Liechtenstein's brigades and those of the nearby Swiss cantons bought from it too — the Vaduz fire brigade's 1970 Series IIB Forward Control Pikettfahrzeug carries a Marte body. In its last years the firm developed its own MX30 telescopic mast, shown at Interschutz 2005, and turned over about seven million euros in 2006.
The company, Marte Feuerwehrfahrzeuge Feuerwehrtechnologie GmbH, filed for insolvency at the end of 2007. Walser GmbH of Rankweil, a coachbuilder founded in 1903, bought the business as an asset deal in the bankruptcy, keeping 45 jobs including twelve apprentices in a new company, Walser Feuerwehrtechnik GmbH, and moved production from Weiler to Rankweil by the autumn of 2008.
Vehicles in this registry (1)
Sources & citations
- Auf-/Ausbauhersteller Marte (founded 1964 in Weiler, Austria; all sizes of fire appliance from small vehicles to truck-based pumpers and rescue tenders; MX30 telescopic mast at Interschutz 2005; insolvency at the end of 2007 and takeover by Walser of Rankweil) ↗ — BOS-Fahrzeuge (accessed 2026-09-11)
- Walser Gruppe übernimmt Marte Feuerwehrfahrzeuge (asset deal in the bankruptcy; Walser GmbH of Rankweil, founded 1903; new company Walser Feuerwehrtechnik GmbH with 45 jobs and 12 apprentices; move from Weiler to Rankweil by autumn 2008; 2006 turnover about €7 million) ↗ — Feuerwehr Riezlern (accessed 2026-09-11)
- Eiserner Florian (Marte of Weiler as a Vorarlberg tradition firm in fire-appliance building until after 2000; first Vorarlberg vehicle to the Viktorsberg brigade; taken over by the Walser group of Rankweil) ↗ — Vorarlberger Nachrichten (accessed 2026-09-11)
- Vaduz — Feuerwehr — KLF (1970 Land Rover Series IIB Forward Control with Marte body) ↗ — BOS-Fahrzeuge (accessed 2026-09-11)
Maker record updated 2026-09-11T08:59:45.907Z · status: researched